Old soldiers and young recruits gathered in the shadow of Dallas City Hall on Monday to honor veterans of the Vietnam War and to memorialize those who never made it home.

U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson of Plano was one of those who almost didn’t make it out of Southeast Asia.

In 1966, his F-4 Phantom was shot down over North Vietnam. He was captured and tortured for seven years. For 42 of those months, he was placed in solitary confinement.

“Captivity can only be described as hell on Earth,” said Johnson, the keynote speaker for the Dallas Veterans Day Parade. “I say that because every other moment on this Earth has felt like a blessing from above.”

Johnson was held in a prison with other noteworthy officers — Jeremiah Denton and Jim Stockdale. They were all shackled to the walls of a 3-by-9-foot cell, where they survived by eating river weed and pig fat.

Johnson, 83, walked to the podium with a noticeable limp from a war injury.

“It is a deep honor to play a role in recognizing our Vietnam veterans, especially POWs,” he said. “Thank you for our precious freedom, thanks for our country.”

Johnson also administered the oath of service to about 150 enlistees representing four military services.

Erika Koehling, a 19-year-old from DeSoto, stood at attention, raised her right hand and committed four years to the Air Force. She’d been waiting for this day.

“I’m following in my family’s footsteps,” she said. “My mom, dad and uncle were all in the Air Force. They were all supportive of my decision. I know what I’m getting myself into.”

‘A deep calling’

Some recruits said they signed up for adventure and the hope of serving in foreign lands. Others said they were attracted to the structure of the military and its opportunity for solid middle-class lives.

“I just felt a deep calling,” said Jared Davidson, a 19-year-old Marine recruit from Mesquite. “I tried community college and it just wasn’t my thing. This seemed like a good way to unlock my full potential as a young man.”

Retired Col. Charles DeBellevue said the centerpiece of the ceremony was the recruits, with their ramrod-straight posture and eyes-straight-ahead gaze.

“Our volunteer military shows this is one of the strengths of our nation,” said DeBellevue, who served as one of the two grand marshals for the parade that snaked through downtown Dallas.

“It just makes you proud to see these young people who are ready to serve their country.”

Pride showed in the eyes of Norma Romo of Mesquite, who held a photo of her 19-year-old son, Gerardo Romo. He’s serving in the Air Force in Japan.

She stood along a fence in the dappled morning light, eyes brimming with tears.

“I feel like I’m here representing him,” Romo said. “He’s serving his country, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Hundreds of people lined downtown streets waving small American flags to honor all veterans past and present.

For many, the parade was an emotional experience.

Stephanie Fuchs, 48, a principal in Garland, talked about how proud she is of her father, who is visiting from Illinois.

“Dad gave so much for us, our country,” she said.

Her father, Harlan Schad, 73, served four years in the Air Force but was not deployed to Vietnam.

“This is why this country has the freedom it has, because of those in the services who were willing to die for freedom,” Schad said while waving a flag.

A Segway with red, white and blue streamers around the wheels zoomed by as the Woodrow Wilson High School band played “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

One man saluted every truck. When members of the American Red Cross passed him, they yelled their thanks and he replied: “Thank you for bringing me back.”

Nicolas Hernandez, a lifetime Dallas resident and Marine Corps veteran, wore a shirt with the U.S. Constitution on it.

“I’m the first in my family to go into the military, and it’s patriotism for me and it’s honoring the guys that didn’t come back,” said Hernandez, a Vietnam veteran.

He choked up while talking about the men who were killed. “I’m living for them,” he said.

Some ceremonies across North Texas were small, and others gathered in private clusters to honor the nation’s veterans.

Other gatherings

In West Dallas, about 75 people stood outside the Bataan Community Center for an afternoon of food, music and recognition.

“We want to thank you and continue to thank you,” City Council member Monica Alonzo told the veterans standing and seated among the crowd.

Her brother, state Rep. Roberto Alonzo, and U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey reiterated the praise.

Alonzo later presented Henry Molina with a certificate for his two years of Korean War service.

“It’s a great thing for all of the veterans,” he said of the event sponsored by a budding association of neighborhood groups, West Dallas 1.

There in the La Bajada neighborhood, near the Trinity Groves restaurants and Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, volunteers grilled burgers and hot dogs.

The Pinkston High School ROTC squad presented the colors. A Tejano band’s accordion player delivered a stylish “Star-Spangled Banner.” And after a singing of “America the Beautiful,” the band picked up the tempo, brought on the party.

At Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, a 21-cannon salute rang out over the lake after Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson’s speech.

Patterson, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, reminded the crowd that members of the military deserve more than a blasé reception.

Throughout the peaceful grounds, small flags and flowers brought color to the rows of gray tombstones, identical except for the engravings.

Families held each other and stood over the plots.

After the service, Betty Nelle, 85, and her daughter Cathy prepared to visit the grave of Nelle’s husband of 64 years.

Robert R. Nelle served as a seaman first class in the Navy during World War II and was buried in the cemetery in 2012.

Betty Nelle said her husband would’ve enjoyed the ceremony. Veterans Day is a meaningful day because it reminds her family of the great sacrifice of many veterans.

“We’re very honored that he’s here,” Cathy Nelle said. “It’s a privilege to have this in our own backyard and to have him in such a beautiful place.”